Religions motivate people to relate to each other, to create understanding and to foster peace. But religions can be abused for political ideologies. Formulated as a universal right to truth, religion can turn into a claim to power, which may lead to violence. Recognizing this, the Ecumenical Council of Churches proclaimed the Decade for Overcoming Violence, which will end in 2010.

Does religion have a tendency to impose its claim to truth through violence? Under what conditions?

How is communal life possible in a society with multiple claims to truth?

Do political views promote a claim to truth, especially when they legitimatize themselves religiously?

The answers seem to have already been provided the Federation of Swiss Protestant Churches in this Davos document. Here's some highlights:

"All around the world, Christian churches have spoken out time and again on matters of economic ethics. The terms economic and ecumenical are in fact closely connected, both containing the Greek root oikos (“house”) as both address the “global household” in different ways. The economy is thus to be understood as the pursuit of an upstanding household in a house with particular house rules. If one is to play in the house, one must respect rules that protect the rights of each player. The formation and examination of these rules promote ethical reflection. This is also a task for the churches as a service to the common good. "

"Multiculturalism and religious pluralism are challenging social concepts. It means that we can deal constructively with the tensions inherent in conserving that which is ours, while remaining open for that which is strange to us."

"Reverend Thomas Wipf suggests that the religions come together to design and sign a basic consensus on what we need to live together in society."

"Religion is anchored in God’s revelation. In its orientation toward God’s revelation, religion also remains an historical reality on a continual basis, and one which is fraught with human weakness. Religion must therefore not become absolutist, but must always listen anew to God’s revelation, questioning itself from this perspective. Religions should not oppose each other and persist in an absolute claim to truth, nor should they make claims to power and seek to wield it over others. Religion must instead serve God and the people for the good of all. "

Held for the first time ever, the dialogue was expected to further enhance bilateral relations between the two countries and contribute to religious communities` ability to cooperate in creating concrete programs to help solve world problems.

Themed "Building Collaborative Communities: Enhancing Cooperation among People of Different Faiths", the dialogue`s results will be reported to the two countries` governments.

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - A number of religious leaders and youth figures from Indonesia and the United States participating in an Interfaith Dialogue here have agreed to promote religious tolerance in schools in their respective communities.

"Religious and youth leaders from both countries will make schools aware of the importance of inculcating students with the ability to understand and respect other faiths to avoid discrimination or violence, especially against minorities," said Zainal Abidin Bagir, executive director of the Center for Religious and Cross Cultural Studies (CRCS), who was a panelist at the dialogue that took place here January 25-27.

Bagir said delegates from both countries discussed the need to familiarize communities about religious diversity as an important action to create a tolerant community able to cooperate in efforts to improve the quality of their lives.

...The Indonesia-US interfaith dialogue also ended with its partcipants committing themselves to eight goals, namely ending poverty, protecting the environment, promoting education on religious diversity and the common good and advancing good governance.

The Indonesian delegation to the meeting was led by the Foreign Ministry`s Director General of Information and Public Diplomacy, Andri Hadi and the US delegation by Senior Director of Global Engagement for the White House National Security Council, Pradeep Ramamurthy.

Bob & Mary Hopkins-"...they have been exploring engagement with the emerging generation and all sorts of sub-cultures, particularly developing mid-size clusters and new forms of missional community. For 17 years they have lead Anglican Church Planting Initiatives. And for the last 4 years have been part of the Archbishops’ Fresh Expressions team ( aka emerging church movement )." The UK's Anglican Church "Fresh Expressions" church growth movement promotes monasticism, and the Sacramental & Contemplative.

Virginia's own Phil Faig- "...Phil also has a passion for seeing new expressions of the church started throughout our region and is involved in an exciting new initiative with the Virginia Baptist Mission Board to launch a movement that has a goal of starting 300 new expressions of the church over the next seven years."Michael Breen - An American representative from The Leadership Network that promotes the deconstruction of Scripture and absolute truth in favor of inclusiveness and interfaith unity all in the name of church growth and social justice.

Steve Cockram -"...Since 2005 Steve has worked extensively with Mike Breen and the international 3 Dimension Ministries team, discipling and coaching senior pastors, chief executives and emerging leaders to help them lead their teams more effectively."

New Delhi (AsiaNews) – Next month, a general meeting of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India will be held on the topic of ‘Year for Priests’, which Pope Benedict XVI proclaimed last June in order to renew the activity and contemplation by Catholic priests.

In order to cope with “the painful realities of the day,” we must recover the “lost mysticism,” he said. “If a realist theologian like Karl Rahner could say that the Christian of tomorrow would need to be a mystic or else cease to be even a believer, we can see how much more important it is for a priest to be a ‘mystic’. Rahner’s statement has proved to be prophetic in this respect. We have witnessed the loss of faith amidst large sections of Christian believers in different parts of the world. Many who wanted to set the world right without the help of their Christian faith have found themselves unequipped for the mighty endeavour.”HT: Christian Research Network

Why are Rick Warren and a growing gaggle of Purpose-Driven and Seeker-Driven pastors embracing and promoting Roman Catholic Monastic Mysticism? In a previous post, I said that I would answer this question. It's now time to do so.

There is one reason and one reason only why innovative market-driven pastors are promoting Roman Catholic Monastic Mysticism. The simple answer is MARKETING.

Since the mid-90's market survey's and data have been pointing market-driven pastors to the fact that the spiritual market in America was undergoing a change and would soon be embracing spirituality and expect mystical spiritual experiences from their church.

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Yellowstone hit by swarm of earthquakesThe swarm of earthquakes at Yellowstone National Park which started Sunday has produced 644 tremors through 1:36 p.m. Wednesday, scientists at the University of Utah said this afternoon.

So far Wednesday, the the magnitude of the earthquakes has been in the 2.5 range or slightly lower.

Several tremors about 3.0 above were recorded on Tuesday.

As of 3 p.m. Tuesday, a total of 469 earthquakes had been recorded since Sunday, meaning another 175 quakes occurred in the past 22 hours.

The earthquakes have been reported by multiple people in the park itself, and in neighboring communities in Montana and Idaho.

Interfaith Red Letter Christian Tony Campolo offers his opinion on what the Roman Catholic Church could do to stop the decline of it's global membership in this podcast, Across The Pond.

From celibacy issues, priest abuse scandals, annulments and birth control policies, Campolo offers suggestions on how the Vatican can course-correct.

During the interview, Campolo describes the Pope as "trying to do what's right for the church as a godly servant of the kingdom". Campolo states "I think we gonna need a new pope" so female ordination can move forward in the Roman Catholic Church.

Ede (BWA) -- John Upton, executive director of the Baptist General Association of Virginia (BGAV) in the United States, has been nominated to be president of the Baptist World Alliance.

The next Baptist World Congress, to be held in Hawaii in 2010, will vote on the General Council’s nomination. If elected, Upton will be president of the BWA from 2010-2015, succeeding David Coffey of Britain, who was elected during the Centennial Congress held in Birmingham, England, in 2005.

...The BGAV currently includes 42 district associations, 17 institutions and agencies, and 1,432 Baptist churches in Virginia. The BGAV, along with the Baptist General Convention of Texas (BGCT), were the first two state conventions within the United States to become BWA member bodies..

At least once a year, many Christians become aware of the great diversity of ways of adoring God. Hearts are touched, and people realize that their neighbours' ways are not so strange.

The event that touches off this special experience is something called the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Traditionally celebrated between 18-25 January (in the northern hemisphere) or at Pentecost (in the southern hemisphere), the Week of Prayer enters into congregations and parishes all over the world. Pulpits are exchanged, and special ecumenical worship services are arranged.

Ecumenical partners in a particular region are asked to prepare a basic text on a biblical theme. Then an international group with WCC-sponsored (Protestant and Orthodox) and Roman Catholic participants edits this text and ensures that it is linked with the search for the unity of the church.

The text is jointly published by the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and WCC, through the WCC's Commission on Faith and Order, which also accompanies the entire production process of the text. The final material is sent to member churches and Roman Catholic dioceses, and they are invited to translate the text and contextualize it for their own use.

The Week of Prayer was first realized in 1908 at Graymoor in Garrison, New York, when the Franciscan Friars and Sisters of the Atonement held the first Church Unity Octave.

Each year the Friars and Sisters of the Atonement around the world join with Christians of every denomination as they pray for Christian unity during the Week of Prayer.

In 2008, Christians around the world observed an important ecumenical milestone as the annual Week of Prayer celebrated 100 years of international events that recognize the importance of prayer and promote unity between different Christian traditions.

The current holder of the rotating European Union presidency, Sweden, has put together a draft document calling for the division of Jerusalem between Israel and a future Palestinian state and implying that the EU would recognize a unilateral Palestinian declaration of statehood.

Haaretz has obtained a copy of the document (below) that has sparked criticism by Israel, which claims that such a move would further harm the chances of renewing the Mideast peace process.

In a one-two series of Climategate aftershocks that assuredly will further rattle the global warming community, a report has been issued by U.S. researchers accusing government agencies of cherry-picking temperature readings used to assess global temperatures, and a series of embarrassing e-mails were released revealing what happened when a blogger dared to point out a mistake by NASA climate scientists.

The new report is from scientist Joseph D'Aleo and was highlighted in a report on global warming on KUSI television in San Diego.

The admission today followed a New Scientist article last week that revealed the source of the claim made in the 2007 report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was not peer-reviewed scientific literature – but a media interview with a scientist conducted in 1999. Several senior scientists have now said the claim was unrealistic and that the large Himalayan glaciers could not melt in a few decades.

The United Nations will hold President Obama to his promise that the United States will reduce carbon emissions even if the Senate cannot pass climate legislation, U.N. climate chief Yvo de Boer said this morning.

The Time is HereThe apostle Paul preached the importance of adhering to God’s Word. He warned that the time would come when believers would not endure sound doctrine but would find teachers who would tell them what they wanted to hear:

Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. (2 Timothy 4:3-4)

Unfortunately, many of today’s pastors have forgotten that Satan is the god of this world (2 Corinthians 4:4) and that we are to “stand against the wiles of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11). As a result, the church is now catapulting into great spiritual deception.

...For those who still rightly divide and depend upon the Word of God, the Bible warns that the coming deception will be so great that most of the world will be deceived (Revelation 13:13-14). Jesus warned that His way is not the broad way but the “narrow way” of continuing in His Word (John 8:31). And it is His way that leads to eternal life.

That’s because for mystic pietists like Scazzero, “quiet time, or devotions” aren’t enough; no, we also supposedly need the acseticism-lite disciplines of CSM for “the practice of the presence of God.” This spiritual skubalon contributed mightily to the formation of apostate Roman Catholicism and it should be a “no-brainer” that this has no place in biblical Protestantism. However CSM, which was a key factor in the demise of the mainline denominations, was a core doctrine of the sinfully ecumenial Emerging Church aka Emergent Church—which morphed into Emergence Christianity (EC).

Sadly their strategy of growing “a church within a church,” begun with the Gen X group Axis at Willow Creek Community Church, has now resulted in The Emerging Church Hijacking Evangelicalism—often through “alternative services” planted in evangelical Youth Groups. And through relentless propaganda spiritually obtuse evangelcials are now embracing LN’s highly ecumenical man-centered synthetic theology, in which Scazzero himself is deeply steeped, as you’ll be able to hear in the lengthy audio clip below...

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

JERUSALEM – Israel and the Palestinian Authority are negotiating indirectly via the U.S., Jordan and Egypt to outline a future Palestinian state that would encompass Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, Middle East security and diplomatic officials told WND.

Popular perception has it that talks between Israel and the PA are stalled over a Palestinian demand that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu extend a 10-month West Bank settlement freeze to include Jewish communities in eastern Jerusalem.

Just yesterday, Netanyahu's office released a statement declaring the prime minister would "never" cede control of united Jerusalem nor retreat to the 1967 borders, referring to an evacuation of the West Bank and eastern Jerusalem. The statement came after Egypt's foreign minister said in Cairo last week Netanyahu was ready to discuss making "Arab Jerusalem" the capital of a Palestinian state.

...The dramatic story of a last-minute agreement fashioned in a meeting among the leaders of the "Copenhagen 5", Brazil, China, India, South Africa, and the United States reveals a profound change in global politics. One in which, for the first time, the rapidly developing giants of Asia, Africa, and Latin America emerged as key to the solution.

The ad hoc leadership by the so-called Copenhagen 5 (C-5), representing 45% of the world's population and 44% of global greenhouse gas emissions, constitutes a new and potentially historic alliance, a symbol, perhaps, of a new world order.

...However, unlike the Kyoto protocol, the accord is not legally binding, and provides neither rules to structure international carbon markets, nor means to enforce compliance. This creates daunting uncertainties about how nations and markets will interact over greenhouse gas reductions.

...The next few months will offer strong indicators of whether nations whose heads of state endorsed the accord will treat it as binding. Various signposts will suggest which way the road is heading. The first deadline to watch for is January 31. By then, developed countries must register national commitments — and developing countries national plans of action — to reduce greenhouse gases.

...One last hope. Because the accord may reflect a reordering of global political dynamics it may make possible a profoundly important shift in which action on climate change is no longer seen as a threat, but rather the key, to development and the future of poverty eradication is recognised as low carbon development. That would be an historic achievement.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Pope Benedict XVI called for “universal recognition” of both Israel’s right to exist and the rights of Palestinians to an independent state.

In his traditional New Year’s address Monday to world diplomats accredited to the Vatican, the pope recalled that during his trip to Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority last May, he had “urgently appealed” for dialogue and respect between Israelis and the Palestinians.

“Once again I call for a universal recognition of the right of the State of Israel to exist and to enjoy peace and security within internationally recognized borders,” he said. “Likewise, the right of the Palestinian people to a sovereign and independent homeland, to live in dignity and to enjoy freedom of movement, ought to be recognized.”

The pope also called for “the protection of the identity and sacred character of Jerusalem, and of its cultural and religious heritage, which is of universal value.”

VATICAN CITY – Pope Benedict XVI denounced the failure of world leaders to agree to a new climate change treaty in Copenhagen last month, saying Monday that world peace depends on safeguarding God's creation.

He issued the admonition in a speech to ambassadors accredited to the Vatican, an annual appointment during which the pontiff reflects on issues the Vatican wants to highlight to the diplomatic corps.

Benedict has been dubbed the "green pope" for his increasingly vocal concern about the need to protect the environment. Under his watch, the Vatican has installed photovoltaic cells on its main auditorium to convert sunlight into electricity and has joined a reforestation project aimed at offsetting its CO2 emissions.

For the pontiff, it's a moral issue: Church teaching holds that man must respect creation because it's destined for the benefit of humanity's future.

In his speech, the pontiff criticized the "economic and political resistance" to fighting environmental degradation and creating a new climate treaty at last month's negotiations in Copenhagen.

Britons have been warned to brace themselves for an increase in food prices as plunging temperatures leave farmers unable to harvest vegetables and hauliers struggle to distribute fresh produce.

Gordon Brown, who will chair a meeting of the Cobra emergency committee early this week to discuss the freeze, was today forced to reassure the country that it would not run out of gas or grit for its roads during the coldest weather in 30 years.

...Concerns have now switched to food supply. Sub-zero temperatures have made it impossible to extract some vegetables from the ground. Producers of brussels sprouts and cabbages are all reporting problems with harvesting. Cauliflowers are said to have turned to "mush" in the sustained frost, with the result that only imported ones are available – at more than £2 each.

Google's list of 20 Active Volcanos, week of: 30 December-5 January 2010. The Western United States and the Soloman islands are the only portions of the Pacific Ring of Fire that did not have earthquake and volcanic activity, though Mt. Redoubt in Alaska has been stirring.

Monday, January 11, 2010

HOW DO Christians know what to think when our pastors bring teachings into church that are rooted in heresy or the occult? Discernment, that’s how. Know the genuine article so you can spot the counterfeit.

Our guest has made a ministry of pointing out false doctrine in some of the brightest lights in American Churchianity today, from evangelicals like Rick Warren and Joel Osteen to charismatics like Rick Joyner and Todd Bentley. Pastor Ken Silva is the President of Apprising Ministries and the General Editor of Christian Research Net. We discussed the hijacking of conservative evangelical denominations by New Age mysticism and how to spot these dangerous teachings.

You can download and listen to this program, which is hosted by Derek Gilbert, right here.

Reporting from Los Angeles and Eureka, Calif. - The day after a powerful earthquake rocked the Northern California city of Eureka, minor aftershocks continued to rattle windows Sunday, and officials surveyed an estimated $12.5 million in damage.

Nevertheless, residents were relieved that the 6.5 magnitude temblor did not cause more serious damage when it struck offshore Saturday about 33 miles southwest of the coastal city of 26,000.

"It appears we dodged a bullet. It could have been far, far worse," said Assemblyman Wesley Chesbro (D-Arcata). "I think it was a very scary experience for everybody."

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Two earthquakes struck the South Bay this morning, the U.S. Geological Survey is reporting. Centered east-northeast of Milpitas, the first had a preliminary magnitude reading of 4.1 and struck at 10:09, the second -- a 1.6 -- followed at 10:22 a.m. The temblors were felt in Palo Alto as well.

Both followed another, 2.8 magnitude quake that occurred Wednesday night in the same area, near the intersection of the Calaveras and Hayward faultlines, David Oppenheimer of the Geological Survey told KCBS radio.

BREITBART.comJan 5 03:30 PM US/EasternMexican officials issued a vigilance alert Tuesday after thousands of dead fish washed up on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. Veracruz state governor Fidel Herrera issued the alert after fishermen reported dead fish along several kilometers (miles) of beaches off eastern Mexico.

"We have to determine if it was a natural phenomenon or if it is more generalized," Herrera told journalists, adding that Mexican Marines had taken samples from other coastal areas.

Investigators were studying the fish to determine the cause of the deaths, said Aurora Parissi, director of Veracruz state public health laboratory.

They were also studying possible links to dead fish which appeared last month on beaches in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas and the US state of Texas, both also on the Gulf of Mexico.

In his statement, released on January 2, Bishop Perić noted that it was his “duty, as diocesan bishop, to provide information to the faithful” regarding the nature of the apparitions, the divide they have caused in his diocese and the official position of the Church on the anomaly.

The apparitions have not been officially recognized by the Church.

Perić’s statement explained that due to the ongoing apparitions and the ensuing debate, his diocese now unwillingly hosts a number of “new communities and associations of the faithful who, in disobedience, live at Medjugorje.” These communities, he said, “may become encouraged in their ecclesial disobedience because of the cardinal’s visit.” "...As diocesan bishop, I wish to inform the faithful with this statement that the visit of Cardinal Christoph Schönborn does not imply any recognition of the “apparitions” related to Medjugorje, I am saddened by the fact that the Cardinal, with his visit, presence, and statements, has contributed to the current suffering of the local church, and even added to it, which does not contribute to the much needed peace and unity.

Editor's note: The local bishop highlights the division within the parish over the "figure of Medjugorje" which includes:

some Franciscans, who were then in disobedience, have decisively taken the side of the figure of Medjugorje, accusing the then-diocesan bishop of causing the local crisis. One of them has since left the order and the priesthood

A few Franciscans, some of whom had already been dismissed by their order, and some others who had not yet been dismissed, invited an “old-Catholic” (a small European schismatic community) deacon who introduced himself as an “archbishop” who “confirmed” more than 700 young people in the usurped parishes.

Two priests have gone to an “old-Catholic” bishop in Switzerland requesting to be ordained bishops and to separate themselves from Mostar and from Rome in order to create a formal schism.

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Meditation therapy should be routinely available on the NHS to treat recurring depression and to help tackle Britain’s growing mental health problems, according to a new report.

The study, commissioned by the Mental Health Foundation, found that fewer than one in 20 GPs prescribed meditation therapy for patients suffering depression, despite NHS guidance suggesting that it could halve depression relapse rates.

The report calls for much wider use of “mindfulness” treatment, which combines meditation with orthodox “thought training”. The report argues that if more GPs offered the therapy it would sharply reduce the financial burden of depression, which costs Britain £7.5 billion a year.

...Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), which has its roots in Eastern philosophy and Buddhism, trains people to focus attention on one place instead of allowing the mind to be “hijacked” by emotional issues, regrets, worries about the past and future, and other distractions. This can be done in a number of ways, for example by focusing on breathing, parts of the body, or movement.

Marian apparitions have been reported and confirmed in multiple Egyptian cities during the month of December. Unidentified lights in the sky and the flocking of birds seem to precede the apparition events. Apparitions have appeared for as long as 3 hours. Thousands of Christians and Muslims have gathered at various churches to witness the apparitions.

Coptic Orthodox Pope Shenouda confirmed the apparitions of the Virgin in al-Warraq, Shubra and al-Zaytun.

Egyptian news media has been covering the events. This website chronicles the the coverage.

...Turning then to comment on the theme of his Message for the forty-third World Day of Peace - "If You Want to Cultivate Peace, Protect Creation" - the Pope explained that "man is capable of respecting other creatures in the degree to which he carries in his own spirit a complete sense of the meaning of life, otherwise he will be led to despise himself and his surroundings and to have no respect for the environment in which he lives: the creation".

"There is, in fact, a close correlation between respect for man and the protection of creation", said the Holy Father. "If man is degraded, the environment in which he lives is degraded; if culture tends towards nihilism (if not theoretical, then practical) nature cannot but pay the consequences".

"Thus I renew my appeal to invest in education", he concluded. "An education that has as its objective, apart from the necessary transmission of technical- scientific knowledge, a broader and deeper 'ecological responsibility' based on respect for man and his fundamental rights and duties. Only in this way can commitment to the environment truly become education for peace and construction of peace".

Monday, January 4, 2010

HONIARA, Solomon Islands, Jan. 4 (UPI) -- The U.S. Geological Survey said the Solomon Islands were hit by seven earthquakes Monday morning, with the strongest registering a magnitude of 7.2.

CNN reported the string of earthquakes struck the island country during a 10-hour period starting at 8:48 a.m. local time and resulted in a total of 16 homes being destroyed and one village being evacuated.

The National Disaster Management Office said an additional 60 homes were damaged by the quakes.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the first quake to hit the region had a magnitude of 6.5 and was followed by the 7.2-magnitude quake and five additional quakes with a magnitude of at least 5.0.

I had a strong sense of the presence of God," she says, "and a message from him: 'Take out a piece of paper. I want to tell you something new.'" Quintrell found herself filling up a sheet of paper as though by dictation. "I had never had anything like that happen. I knew it wasn't coming from me."

At the time, Quintrell served as executive pastor of Redwood Covenant Church in Santa Rosa, California. The words that filled the sheet of paper before her added up to something quite different from anything her church was doing:

Journey Center: Christ-centered spirituality, healing, and wholeness.

...Quintrell's church embraced her ministry vision, retooling her position to director of spiritual formation. She launched a program called the Journey Center, as per what she felt were her instructions. The center offered classes in contemplative prayer, spiritual direction, and spiritual formation.

...Since some of the offensive words are Jesus, church, and Christianity, their work isn't easy or comfortable. Volunteers have learned that Christ carries positive connotations, for many are into "Christ consciousness."

"They mean something different," Quintrell says, "but Christ is a bridge word. So we usually pray in the name of Christ the healer." As Quintrell has read more about alternative spiritualities, she has been amazed to find all the words that were in her original vision: journey, Christ-centered, healing, wholeness. "From the beginning," she says, "God gave us a bridge."

A stronger bridge came in human form. While researching popular alternative spiritual directors, Quintrell contacted one named Ruah Bull, who sent a brochure about her practice. She offered techniques in chakra balancing and past-life regression.

Something happened the moment they met. "As we walked up to each other, it was as if we had stepped under a waterfall of love. We grabbed each other and hugged. Then we sat for the next two or three hours, sharing our stories."

Bull's included radical feminism, goddess worship, Buddhist meditation, and Native American spiritual practices. As she explained to Quintrell, Jesus kept showing up unbidden. He had appeared in a group exercise in guided meditation. When Bull visualized a door, turned the handle, and stepped into the room where she was supposed to meet her higher self, Jesus was there.

...Bull changed too. "Every month she was more open," until one day, at a meeting at Quintrell's church, she announced her decision: "Joanna, I have waited to be in your community to do this: I want to follow Jesus." Bull now calls herself a "contemplative Catholic."

Editor's Note: The author correctly introduces the article with the words, " Christ Alternative ". Put another way, contemplative / interfaith spirituality is ANTI-CHRIST. Quintell describes her "automatic writing" experience, though she seemed unaware of the real power behind the influence... automatic writing is one form of divination.